The Legacy
by Ms.AllThingsFiction
Summary: Prophecy has been restored to Camp Half-Blood and Apollo is once again a god. But Khios, the titan of prophecy, won't accept defeat. The titans are attempting one last shot at ruling the world once again. The battle is on to see who will win over Elysia Hathaway, a demigod who can control the future with mere words. Will she help the titans, or remember that family is everything?
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: I came up with this idea after Blood of Olympus came out. As usual, I refused to accept that it was the last Percy Jackson book Rick Riordan would make. Then he announced he was writing a new book about Apollo who was turned human after royally messing up. As I waited for Trials of Apollo to come out, I began writing about a demigod named Elysia who can spin the future in any way she wanted if she believed hard enough. I hope you give this new demigod a chance and that you like my own spin on stories containing CHB and Percy. Thank you for reading, as always I love you guys and appreciate you. Enjoy!_

Chapter 1

The bell rang and the school day was over. I looked over my shoulder and made my way out through the side exit. Teenagers gathered talking in groups about how their day had gone. I tightened my grip on my backpack and opened the door. They made it hard to get out of the school.

"Hey, Elysia Hathaway! Where ya going? Do you have a date with Goodwill? " I heard someone call from the middle of the hallway. A group of giggles arose to the left of me. Of course I immediately recognized the voice as Lily Hawkins. I grinded my teeth and kept moving. No way was I about to get into it with her today, maybe tomorrow…

I walked across the student parking lot and made my way into the city. No I didn't ride the bus. No I didn't get dropped off. No I didn't have my own car so I could get to school. I walked. I walked everywhere. Why you might ask? Because I didn't have enough money, duh. For a car, I mean. I was old enough to drive—I was seventeen—but I still didn't have my driver's license. I didn't ride the bus or get dropped off because, well, I was homeless. Actually, I had a little apartment, I was an orphan. My parents were nowhere to be found, and I had been on my own since long before I could actually remember. I survived on my wits—I barely had any—and luck. Such as, I'm lucky the school hasn't decided to look into my personal file and see that I have no parental contact or a real physical address. I'm lucky the other five schools I've been to aren't still searching for me. Oh well. I don't need anyone.

I crossed the street when the traffic light turned red and made my way down Perkins St N. I see a few men greedily look at my bag but step back when they see the glare in my eyes. I narrowed my eyes and tensed my jaw. I ever so slightly shook my head and they turned away. I stopped walking and watched them retreat. I counted to ten and resumed walking. I rounded a corner and came to a battered door. There was a dumpster next to the door, filled with smelly garbage. I wrinkled my nose and looked behind it. There was usually a homeless kid or two trying to shield themselves from the elements. There was no one today. I sighed in relief, if there was a kid I would be consciously forced to feed them.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVED helping kids in need. Heck, I was a kid in need. But trying to balance monthly bills on top of feeding myself was a struggle. I looked up when I heard the crinkle of plastic bag. I gripped my back pack in front of me, ready to use it as a shield or just throw it. It was a small kitten. A little tiny kitten, orange and white, maybe about a month old. It looked at me for a second before coming towards me and rubbing against my foot.

It purred and I picked it up.

"Hey, little one, where did you come from?" I said, rubbing its fluffy face on my cheek. It playfully pawed my black hair. "I guess I have to keep you now, don't I? Let's see, what will your name be?" I thought for a moment but came up with nothing. I shrugged and opened the battered door. I looked around to make sure no one had followed me and entered the building. I stepped inside and sighed at the rundown building. Spider webs hung from the ceiling and stair case, it was all dusty and you could see the dust particles floating in the air, curtesy of the small window six feet up on the wall. I begin the climb up to my small rundown apartment and began thinking about the homework I had. Chemistry, Calculus, World History, AP English. So much homework. Why do they assign so much homework? Seriously, it was proven that homework did nothing to help your grades. But it did feed anxiety.

'Get eight hours of sleep.'

'Join a sport or club.'

'Don't forget your homework.'

Did they really expect kids to keep up with all of that? I reach the third floor and turned right, the kitten was asleep in my arms. I ran a hand across its tiny furry head. I wish I was a cat. I stopped in front of my door and see my mail neatly stacked up. NOTICE, UTILITY BILL DUE IMMEDIATELY. Shit, I forgot that bills were due yesterday. I fished my key out of my pocket and unlocked the door. The old door creaked and I saw a puff of dust fly into the air.

My apartment was old and outdated. The living room had an old green beat up couch, a worn out coffee table with water rings on the wood, a side table with a yellow lamp and a blue carpet. The two windows had worn out curtains, once white and lacy, now yellow and starting to tear. No TV. I couldn't yet afford cable.

To my right was the small kitchen which barely fitted a small one person table. It had all of the necessities, a microwave, a fridge, a gas stove. They all came with the apartment. The kitchen window allowed me to look at another building, red and brown bricks, and an air conditioner sticking out of the opposite window across from me. The fire escape wasn't much of an escape, I'm pretty sure it had lost the ladder before I was even born, that's how old the building was. I dropped my backpack onto the dining table and took out my books. I remembered the bills and opened each one.

The land lord was a nice old man, greedy, but nice. Rent was about two hundred a month, gas, light, and water equaled to about one fifty. 'There goes three hundred and fifty dollars,' I thought while walking to my bedroom and opening up the secret panel under the bed, inside was a tiny fire proof safe, it held every dollar I had. I carefully counted out the amount due and shut it tightly. I heard a noise coming from the kitchen and stopped what I was doing. I froze for a good minute before I remembered the kitten I found.

"Stop being so paranoid." I scolded myself out loud. I saw the kitten sniffing around in the kitchen. I walked back to the table and sealed the money inside an envelope. I would drop it off later that evening on my way to work. I began changing into my work outfit and stuck my arms into the dark blue shirt. I pulled on my form fitting khaki pants and put my old leather belt on.

I heard a knock on the door and I walked over to see who it was. I looked through the peep hole and saw a headful of black hair and green eyes. I grinned as I opened the door.

"Pericles." I said slightly blushing and brushing aside some hair that was in my face.

"Hey, El. I came to see how you were." Pericles greeted me with a hug. He smelled like cologne. Pericles was a rich white boy. His mom was an accountant for a billion dollar company. Pericles and I became friends when I first showed up at New York. Today he was dressed in khaki pants with a green polo shirt. His mother arranged for him to have his own private tutor and he was homeschooled.

"I'm good. I was about to do some homework before I left for work." I said stepping aside so he could come in. I walked into the kitchen and offered him a Coke. It was all I had, and honestly all I drink. He took the can and popped it open, took a long swig and stared at me.

"Do you need a lift? I'm going that way and I could drop you off." He nonchalantly offered. I smile at him gratefully. He was the sweetest guy ever.

"That would be great."

He grinned. "So, what kind of homework do you have? I could help." He was always wanting to help with my homework. He was very smart, don't get me wrong, but sometimes he misspelled words. I tended to misspell words too, which is why I would do most of my research papers on a computer. Thank goodness for spellcheck. But I found out that I obtained bad luck when I used technology.

"You can help me with chemistry. All of these formulas are really hard to remember." He and I sat down and spent the next forty minutes working on chemistry homework. He would joke around and bang his head on the table, pretending to be stumped. Before I knew it, it was almost time for me to be at work. I shut the chemistry textbook and stuck it back into my backpack. He stood up yawning and stretched. He took his keys out of his pocket. I already had on my work uniform on.

"Let's roll out."

"Alright, let me get my nametag." I said while walking into my room and picking it up where I had last left it. I clipped it on and walked back to the kitchen. "Okay, now we can roll out."

We made our way out of the building and I saw that the sun was setting. I worked at a small children's arcade store. I distributed the prizes when kids brought their tickets to the claim counter. I had been working there for about seven months and had gotten used to the routine. Clock in, refill token machine, set out new prizes, make sure the tables are clean, and repeat. Same old, same old.

We made it to Pericles's car, what kind, I have no idea. I know nothing of cars. All I knew was that it was new, red, and very shiny. It was a sports car if that makes any difference. He clicked the unlock button on his keys and the car did a happy little chirp as it unlocked. The inside of his car was grey leather, and by the look of it was genuine. Of course it was, his mother wouldn't allow him to have anything but the best. She only bought him name brand clothes. Aeropostale, American Eagle, some snobby man's clothes line from Paris. He looked good in them but you could always tell when he felt uncomfortable. His eyebrows would scrunch up and his lips would be set in a tight stony line. He once told me he would rather wear ratty old sweatpants and a black muscle shirt. He would look good either way.

He sped up and before I knew it, he had the passenger side door open for me. I blushed and thanked him. He got in and started pulling out of the parking area.

"So, how's everything going at home school?" I asked, pulling my hair in low ponytail. My bangs fell forward, they were too short to be pulled back. My navy blue shirt and my khaki pants were wrinkle free. The managers didn't like it when the employees came in all mussed up.

He shrugged and shifted gears, "It's ok, and we have exams next week for winter break. I've been trying to study but I've been distracted." He stopped at an intersection and waited. He was a very cautious driver, always looking both ways at four way stops, driving thirty under the speed limit. It was very boring. I played with some strands of my hair as he drove along in the busy streets. "You know, I was thinking that maybe tomorrow after school, we could you know—go on a date?" He froze with a hopeful look on his face.

"Oh, um, what?" I asked him, he wanted to date me?

"Yeah, we could like go get an ice cream, or some coffee."

"Um, I'm lactose intolerant, and coffee gives me anxiety." I said wincing. "But, maybe we can do something else, we could go see a movie, I hear the new Robert Downey Jr. movie is playing. If you want."

"Oh sure!" he said brightening up. His green eyes lit up and his lopsided smile grew. "Let's say I pick you up around seven? Please tell me you don't have to work tomorrow?" his hopeful look faded a bit.

"Fortunately, I am off tomorrow. Seven would be great." He pulled into the parking lot and turned to me.

"What time do you get off today?"

"Eleven, I already want it to be over." I said sighing loudly. Don't get me wrong, I was thankful I had a job.

"Okay, I'll pick you up at eleven." He said.

"What? No, you don't have to do that." I blushed. I would just walk home. No, I couldn't let him give me a ride home.

"Why not?" He frowned. Then he paled, "do you not…like me?" Did I not—what? I didn't know how I felt. I did like him, as a friend. But as something more—I didn't know.

"Of course I do." I said nervously. Oh my goodness, was this really happening? My face felt hot and cold at the same time, was it possible that this insanely cute rich guy liked me?

He relaxed a bit and then smiled. "Okay, well, I'll pick you up at eleven." It was a done deal. I got out of the car and walked into work feeling dizzy and confused. I puzzled over his spontaneous dating offer for the rest of the night. I decided against going out with him. I had school to focus on, work to go to. I didn't have enough time to spend over frivolous outings. Besides, who knew when the schools might report my mysterious appearances and leavings? I had to be ready to be on the run at any given notice. And what would happen if we got into a serious relationship? It wouldn't be fair to him. I bit my lip as I was wiping down a table.

Would I ever be able to have a normal life? Would I always have to be watching my back? Running away wouldn't work forever. I was still a minor, I had another few months before I was technically considered an 'adult'. I just had to stay off the radar until then. I picked up some dirty dishes and placed them in the washing bin. I tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear and continued cleaning tables.

"Elysia? Will you take care of that big table in the corner by the rainbow slide? We just got a reservation for the biggest table. Some little boys' birthday. We need it cleaned, please." My manager Al Minoski asked. I said yes and hurried over to the table he needed cleaned. As I was walking over to the table I looked up and saw a girl with blonde hair and gray eyes staring at me. She was about my age, maybe slightly older. She saw me looking and immediately looked away. She had half a slice of pizza in front of her. She unconvincingly picked it up and took a bite. What a weirdo. I finished cleaning the table just in time.

A minute later, the party showed up and Al showed them to their table. I stepped into the bathroom for moment to tighten my belt. I re-tucked my shirt and redid my loose ponytail. I checked to see if the restroom was stocked with enough toiletries and found it needed more toilet paper. After I was done stocking the restroom with toilet paper I washed my hands. The blonde headed girl walked into the restroom and seemed surprise to see me. She stared at me for a moment before she spoke.

"It's true. You're the one we're looking for." I backed away nervously. I put the bottle of toilet cleaner between us as if that were enough to protect me.

"Um, excuse me." I pushed past the girl who protested my departure. I heard her yell wait and walked over to the prize counter. They had found me. The schools had warned the authorities and now they were going to send me to some sort of jacked up protection agency. How had they found me? I had made sure I covered ever track, every single disappearance. I cursed silently and blindly handed a little boy a stuffed bear in exchange for his tokens. I saw the girl walk out of the restroom, pay, and leave. She gave me one last stare and left. My shift went by sluggishly, as if knowing I had no time for time. I had to leave the area. I had to leave town. At exactly eleven I clocked out and left.

I felt bad about leaving without any notice but I didn't have any time for that. Pericles was waiting outside for me when I walked out. He was wearing an orange shirt and some khaki shorts with white Reeboks. His hair was tussled up more than usual. He looked up when he saw me and gave me a small smile.

"Hey." I said nervously giving him a halfhearted smile. He looked puzzled and cleared his throat.

"Hi?" his voice was different. Just slightly.

"Are you ready? My shift is over now." He backed away. I saw his hand go to his right pocket.

"Do I know you?" he asked suspiciously. He seemed to have gotten over his confusion and was now staring at me.

"Is this some kind of joke, Pericles? Because, it's really not funny if it is." I snapped angrily. Why was he acting this way? He narrowed his eyes and took a cheap ballpoint pen out of his pocket.

"I don't know a Pericles. My name is—what?" He suddenly looked behind me. I turned and saw—Pericles. In the same outfit he had dropped me off earlier. I looked at both boys and saw a striking resemblance. They could be twins. Pericles looked at Not Pericles and stopped walking towards me. All of a sudden I saw the blonde girl walk up to Not Pericles and I saw her stiffen.

"Percy, we have to go. I'll explain all of this later." She said to Not Pericles. Percy took his eyes off of Pericles to take a quick glance at the girl. Her eyes told him something because I saw him light up in curiosity. He looked at me and studied me. "It's her, the one the gods have been looking for. She's the legacy." She turned toward us with a crazed look. "Come with us."

Pericles walked over to me and tugged on my arm. When he found I could easily be pulled along he did just that. He seemed to want to get away from that bizarre meeting.

"El, we have to go." I let him pull me to his car and barely noticed when he pulled out of the parking lot.

"Did you know that guy, Pericles? Or that girl?" I asked.

"No, that was so strange. He looked exactly like me." he pondered over that, troubled. He paid barely any attention to the traffic lights and almost ran a red light. He slammed hard on his breaks and I rushed forward to slam my head on the dashboard. I moaned and grabbed my head in pain. He glanced my way and saw me cradling my head. "Oh shoot, are you okay? I'm sorry."

I gritted my teeth and gave him a hard smile, "Fine, just fine. Be a little more careful, please." The light turned green. He apologized again and continued driving. Eight minutes later he pulled up to the apartment building where I lived and we got out. I let him in and went over to the greeting desk.

"Is the landlord here? I have the payments for this month." I said, trying to sound older than what I really was. False documents went a long way. The receptionist shook her head but assured me she would give him the payments. After a moment of asking her to please, please, please, give him the envelope—I said it loud enough to where the cameras watching would pick up the conversation—I left the money with her. Pericles followed me with his hands in his pockets. His expression was distracted and confused. He was clearly not all here, just as he was in the car. I rubbed the side of my head and tried to ignore the pain. I needed some aspirin. I fished the keys out of my pocket and unlocked my door.

"Well, thanks for the ride to work." I tried to sound thankful and not tearful. I wouldn't be able to see him after tonight. Even if the authorities weren't after me I still couldn't stay here. I had to move and start all over. People had found me, people I didn't know. I'd feel much better if some old school was searching for me. But it wasn't, it was strangers. I wondered if 'gods' was a code name for a group. And what was a legacy? Pericles stared at me for a moment.

"I'll see you tomorrow, right? I know it's Friday but since you don't have school the next day, we don't have to worry about homework…" he trailed off. I gave him a tight lipped smile and nodded what I hope was enthusiastically.

"Yeah, sure. See you at seven." I said quickly, gently shoving him out the door. I shut the door in his face and tried not to cry.

I went into my bedroom and packed up my things in the boxes, this time had lasted longer. Seven months without someone getting suspicious. That was a new record. Tears streamed down my face. Hey I was used to it. Besides, I liked being alone.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

I walked into school the next day. My conscious had forced me to come just one last day. I went over to my locker and spun the combination in quickly. As soon as I had it open an invisible force slammed it shut. That invisible force was Lily. An evil smirk was on her face, her blue eyes glittered with anticipation, and she innocently twirled her chestnut brown hair with her fingers. Her other two rookies were on her left and right.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. How clumsy of me," her voice dripped with sarcasm. I sighed and looked her straight in the face. She flinched as I gave her my street glare.

"Okay, listen here you little—" I started to say when I saw Not Pericles out of the corner of my eyes. He was staring at me with his hands in his pockets. The blonde girl stood beside him. They seemed to be watching what my reactions. They were probably friends with Lily. I backed off of Lily and she took advantage of my kindness.

"You can't touch me. My family would sue you for everything you're worth. And by the looks of it, it's not much." She said coldly and loudly so everyone would here. I saw Not Pericles step forward but the blonde girl stopped him. "You don't ride the bus, you don't drive a car, your clothes look handed down. You're so poor it hurts to watch you. Your looks don't help either. Face it, Elysia—you're nothing."

"I don't care what you say." But in reality, her word cut me deep. I shook with anger and tried not to show how angry I was by not crying. Everyone was now watching us. They looked eager for a fight. I saw that most people were giving me sympathetic looks. After what a fellow student had told, I wasn't Lily's first victim. She picked on every new girl. She was a rich white girl from New York City. Except unlike Pericles, she liked to show it off.

"Oh but you do. Mark my words Elysia, you will never amount to anything." She leaned in close to my face. Her breath smelled like peppermint. I leaned in until our nose touched and smiled cruelly. Her eyes widened a little and she took a small step back.

"I know your kind, Lily…" I smiled again but this time without any humor. "You pretend you're tough and popular but really you're a big shot bully. I see it all the time. Just because your parents are rich you think you are. But in reality you're nothing. Strip everything away; the clothes, the jewelry, the fake friends, the so called popularity. You're just an empty shell of pure hatefulness, and one day you'll end up alone and without anything. Only then will you see and only then will you find out that all of that jealousy proved to be just a small little girl begging for attention. Then, you are and will be nothing."

As I finished I felt a small vibration from my words flow through the air and cover Lily up. I don't know how I knew but I knew that my words would come true. I saw blonde girl grab Not Pericles' forearm and squeezed it tightly. He nodded and they disappeared outside. Lily looked pale and clammy. She was tinged with green and a slight sheen of moisture was on her forehead. She started shaking and opened her mouth, she promptly closed it and gave a nonchalant shrug. She turned away quickly and walked into the bathroom.

The first bell rang loudly, reminding us that we needed to be in our classes in five minutes. I was involved with all kinds of clubs: the drama club, art club, archery team, JV wrestling team, swim team. For my first class we had archery practice. Our school was placed second in the State Archery Exposition and we were working on being the first. I walked up the stairs to the gym and entered through the double wide doors. I could already see some of my classmates shooting at targets. My shoes produced an echoing noise that resonated throughout the gym. I went into the girl's locker room and changed into some khaki shorts and a black tank top. I slipped on some white tennis shoes and put on some black fingerless gloves and went to join my friends.

As soon as our coach, Ms. Melanie Rollini, saw we were ready she passed out the bows and arrows.

"We'll be working on our bull's eyes today. As soon as you hit five bulls' eyes you can move on to free shot. Keep count. Elysia, you can lead, I have to go finish some paper work. I'll be back in a few." The archery members turned to me in anticipation and waited for my word.

I smiled brightly, "Well, guess we'll get to it." I set up the targets and everyone started practicing. While I was great at archery, I tried not to show off. I threw some shots and tried to make it seem like I was just okay not great. I didn't like to brag. Most shots the archers made were out of bounds and some were so close they exclaimed in frustration. I notched an arrow and focused on my target. I let the arrow fly and it impaled itself perfectly in the middle. Bull's eye.

"Now that's why you're team captain." Rick said smiling at me. I grinned back and let everyone have a shot. Everyone hit the bull's eye at least three times before Coach Rollini came over to check on us. She grinned and nodded in our direction. She was a short lady, around five foot three. As short as she might be though she was super funny and amazing at archery, she had been practicing it since she was seven. She had wavy blonde hair and beautiful blue eyes. She was always dressed in khaki pants and a black shirt with an arrow on it. Every shirt she owned had a cheesy catch phrase to it like 'you're the arrow through my heart'. It was weird. Every once in a while she would wear an old faded out orange shirt with the words gone, soft and almost thread bear after years of wear and tear. An old camp shirt, she would say. Seeing as she was almost thirty it was pretty old.

"Well, you guys, I have great news." She announced loudly after practice. "We are going to nationals, I just spoke to the director and he is excited to have us there. He said he was at the state expo but I don't recall seeing him. Anyway, he said we are an amazing team and he would love for us to be part of it. So, mark next month, April twelfth, on your calendar so you won't plan anything for that day." As soon as she was finished speaking we burst out in applause and started celebrating. I however forced a smile on my face and tried to be happy for them. I wouldn't be here for nationals. We packed up and dressed in our regular school clothes and waited for the bell to signal for the next class. Ms. Rollini called me over to her table near the bleachers.

I pushed some hair out of my face and walked over to her. "Yes, Ms. Rollini?" I stared at her and was amazed at how pretty she was.

She smiled and looked down at her laptop, "You will be here on the 12th, right?" she looked at me suspiciously. I blanched and ran a nervous hand through my hair.

"T-totally. Of course, why wouldn't I be?" I readjusted my backpack and shuffled my feet.

"Elysia, things aren't always what they seem to be. What you think about doing now will impact your entire future. Choose wisely." Her blue eyes seemed to glow a bit and I blinked. When I looked again her eyes were normal sky blue.

"What did you do? I mean with your eyes…" I blabbed out before thinking how strange and weird it would sound. Ms. Rollini looked at me with a knowing smile on her face.

"What do you mean?" she leaned forward on her elbows and looked interested in what I was going to say.

I started feeling strange and excused myself. I ran out of the gym and into the bathroom. I walked over to a sink and splashed some cold water on my face. How was it possible that she knew I wasn't coming back? Was she really suggesting I not come back? Did her eyes really glow or was it the florescent lights? Why was I asking so many questions? I looked into the mirror and took a deep breath. One class down, three more to go. I took a moment to collect myself and walked out of the bathroom. And straight into the blonde girl.

"What do you want? Why are you following me?" I demanded.

Her grey eyes clouded over. "You are in danger. You need to come with us." Not Pericles seemed to come out of nowhere and stood by her.

"I'm not going anywhere with you. Because of you I have to leave."

"What do you mean leave?" the guy asked. I turned to him and noticed how much he looked like Pericles. It made my chest tighten with sadness. I took a step back.

"Listen, I don't want any trouble. If you're working with the schools I have another thing coming for you. I didn't do anything they're saying."

"You're special. You don't understand the kind of situation you've gotten yourself into. We saw what you did back there with the girl. We need to know how you did that little trick with the future." The blonde girl said. "We need to know what all YOU know."

I settled for a hysterical laugh. "I have no idea what you guys are talking about. What do you mean "little trick with the future" that makes no sense. Nothing happened."

"Percy, if she really can do what Apollo said…then many people are going to be after her." the blonde girl said to Not Pericles. Percy was a British name, was it not?

"I know Annabeth, but she clearly doesn't want to come with us. Especially if she's talking about ditching town." Percy said. I narrowed my eyes at them.

"Are you two really talking about me? I'm right here. I can hear you." I snapped.

"She really doesn't look like one of his children. I mean, I know not all siblings look alike but she's a dark haired beauty, most are fair and blond." Percy pointed out to Annabeth.

I touched my dark black hair. Fair? Blonde? I had black hair and dark brown eyes. What? Did I have to be a blonde haired blue eyed girl for someone to find me interesting?

"I'm leaving. If I ever see you two again, I swear I will call the police. I don't care if they are looking for me, you two are crazy. Who in the world talks about gods?" I said turning around. "I'm going to be late for English class." I practically ran away from them. I ran into the doorway to my English class, still lost on what Percy and Annabeth said. I was just a regular teenage girl. Why would people be after me? What crazies.

I sat down in my desk at the back of the class. As usual, I felt a paper ball hit my head. I turned to see a smug Lily Hawkins giggling behind her hand.

"Really? If you want a fight Lily, I'll give you one." I snarled. "I'm really tired of you and I really don't care if I get expelled." I stood up and took my jacket off.

Her eyes widened a bit but she stayed calm. "You can't and won't touch me. I thought I told you that?" Her friends laughed and I noticed that the entire class was watching.

"You are an awful person. What did I ever do to you? Why do you hate me so much?"

"It's just so funny to mess with you. To make you mad, to break you down even more. You're nothing, I want to see just how much nothing you are." She said looking into a compact mirror she took out. She pulled out a tube of lip gloss and began applying it. "Look at you, I mean, I know I've already said it, but look at your clothes. Look at your hair, your life. You have no parents. You're a weirdo."

"Lily, that's enough. It was a bit funny before but it's not now." That didn't come from me. I turned to my left and saw Joey Linch, a guy from the football team, looking at Lily with disgust. "You picking on people is getting old. You think it's funny because your parents are rich and you have everything. Just because people don't think like you, look like you, act like you, that they are less than you. But in reality, everyone is the same. Quit being a mean, rude girl and stop. No wonder Trent dumped you." Everyone stared at him in surprise, including me. Lily's face grew redder than a stop sign.

"Joey—why are you defending her?" Lily asked with confusion.

"Because I'm tired of you bullying people."

Lily laughed nervously and sat back down. Joey caught my eye and turned around to face the board, at that exact moment the teacher entered the classroom and began teaching.

Afterwards, when the bell had rang I hesitantly walked up to Joey. He turned around when I tapped on his shoulder.

"I just wanted to say thanks. I know a lot of you guys don't like me but thanks, I appreciate it very much."

Joey gave me a small smirk and shrugged, "It was getting old anyway. Lily has forgotten why popular kids are popular. I've always felt like the concept of 'popular' came around to help people. You should be able to walk up to any of us and we should help you. In a way, being popular is a responsibility. We should be nicer. Besides, you weren't standing up for yourself that well, someone had to step in. Bye, Hathaway." He turned and made his way into a wave of students.

Lily didn't bother me anymore at all that day. She would glare at me then go back to applying her lip gloss or torturing another poor soul. For the first time since I had started school I felt peaceful knowing I wouldn't get ran over by a runaway trash can.

As I walked to math class I felt a tingle start from the bottom of my spine and make its way up. I looked around and saw nothing out of the ordinary. Students crowded the hallways, teachers were scolding and giving warnings. I made my way to my locker, spinning the combo, stuffing and retrieving books. I adjusted my backpack and entered Calculus.

If there's anything I hate more than politics, its math. I can't stand the headaches it implements. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm pretty good at solving the problems but it takes me a good minute until I can fly through everything.

Unfortunately I am late for Calculus and the teacher chewed me out for it.

"Ms. Elysia, you're late. Could you not find the classroom?" Mr. Peters asked. For some reason, he really doesn't like me. He's a big stocky man. His face reminds me of a smashed ball. His nose is twice the size of a regular one, his eyes tiny little black beads. There's small patches of hair on his head. He's always dressed in black. Plus he always smells like rotten fruit to me. No one else is bothered by his smell.

I grit my teeth and took my seat in the back. "I apologize, it won't happen again."

"No, it won't, will it?" He responded mysteriously. He gives me one more glare and takes out his calculus book.

My mind wanders while I try to focus on quadratic equations. He gives us college level problems and laughs while we struggle to figure them out. By the end of the class period, I have two meltdowns and five migraines.

They dismissed us for lunch. What a day, one more class and I could go.

"Hey, Elysia!"

I turned and caught my friend Danny running up to me.

"Want to eat lunch together?" he asked while sticking his hands in his pockets. I inwardly groan and give him a forced smile.

"Last time that happened, you tried to kiss me." I reminded him. I loved Danny, he was one of those kids you couldn't help but get along with. But unfortunately he liked me a little too much.

"I know, but I can't help it, you're so cute." Danny was also a freshman. He liked everyone and thought everyone was cute. He shrugged and poked me in the side.

"I don't think so, Danny." I tried to walk away but was startled when he gripped my arm with a steel force.

"Look, I won't try to hit on you but I have something you might want to know." He looked at me with purpose. His gaze was steady, no trace of joking.

"Danny, let me go." I said, suddenly frightened.

"I have something important to tell you." He said following me once I had broken free of his grip. He limped after me. He had gotten hurt in gym class a few months before and never completely recovered.

I placed myself in the lunch line and waited for my tray. Danny got behind me, still talking. I blocked him out and focused on the way the lunch lady was serving green beans into a small Styrofoam cup. She put a slice of cold pizza, some peaches, green beans, and a cookie on the tray. I grimaced while taking it and went to sit down at a table in a corner of the cafeteria. Sitting down I could see Lily glaring at me. I smirked and ignored her. I heard a lunch tray being set down next to me.

"Danny." I groaned. I sat by myself on purpose. It was the only time at school that I could be alone and ignore the headaches.

"Elysia, if I wanted to hit on you I would've done it by now." He said seriously. "Listen, you have to leave town. There's people looking for you."

I tensed up. "What do you mean? How do you know?" I glanced around to see if anyone had heard him. I stiffened at the sight of Percy and Annabeth casually looking away. Since when did they start going to school here? They glanced my way and both caught my eyes. I could see concern in Annabeth's eyes.

"Well, not exactly people. They're more like supernatural beings." Danny said. "Pick up your pizza and eat. Pretend like I'm telling you a funny joke. Laugh. Mr. Peters is watching you. Let's just say he isn't normal."

"I know he isn't normal. He gave us college level calculus equations." I told him. I peeked through my hair and saw that Mr. Peters was in fact watching me. I quickly picked up the cardboard pizza and took a tentative bite. After quickly chewing and swallowing, I burst out in a tiny laugh.

"I wonder where they are. They were supposed to warn you about everything." Danny whispered to himself.

"What are you talking about?" I said, laughing again. Mr. Peters looked away and began talking to the teachers. I saw Annabeth and Percy casually pick up their trays and sat down in front of me.

"There you guys are. You were supposed to already be at camp with Elysia." Danny hissed at them.

"Hey, that's your job. Besides, we tried to tell her but every time we do she walks away. I mean, I would too." Percy said. He watched Mr. Peters with calculating eyes. A tiny frown grew between his brows.

"Because every time you talk to me you start saying how someone wants to find me. I don't know what you're talking about." I snapped at Percy. "Besides, how do I know you two aren't some psychopaths?"

"You don't. But, if the other groups is actually looking for you…you're better off with us." Annabeth said to me. Better off, not safe, but better off.

"Who is this other group? Danny here made them sound like they aren't humans." I was curious. Maybe these three were patients who escaped from an asylum. They escaped and now were looking for ways to return to their normal lives and freak people out. If they were, I wonder why they had gotten thrown into the crazy house. Talking about supernatural beings was one possibility.

"How much do you know about Greek mythology?" Percy asked me. Yeah, they had totally escaped from the crazy house.

"Zeus, Poseidon, Hercules, that kind of myth? Not much. Why?" I humored him.

"Don't say their names. Names have power." Annabeth warned me.

"Come on, crazy people. They aren't real. Sure, they make an interesting history conversation piece, but other than that, they didn't exist. Hercules didn't exist, neither did Perseus, Theseus, all of those euses."

"I'm kind of offended, seeing as how my name is Perseus." Percy said.

"That means you don't exist." I said to him.

"Focus, you guys." Annabeth snapped. "Normally, we wouldn't be telling you here, we'd wait until you were at Camp. The gods are alive. And you are in danger."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

I promised to meet them in the back of the school after it was out for the day. I instead went home and hopped in the shower. Shampooing and conditioning quickly, scrubbing, grooming, dressing, all took more time than I thought. I packed my toiletries and grabbed my suitcase. I left the nonessentials in the apartment. While making sure I had everything I needed I felt the door open just slightly.

Could it be the people Percy said were looking for me? Bracing myself I wielded a knife and waited for the intruder to proceed into the kitchen. I held my breath and raised it over my head. I saw a pair of black Converse shoes lightly step over the threshold. I counted to three and brought the knife down. A guy in black clothing opened his eyes wide and barely had the chance to deflect the knife with a sword. Black haired and tall, with dark intense eyes. He scowled and yanked the knife out of my hands.

"Do you treat all of your guests like that?" He grumbled.

"Only intruders. Listen if you're going to kill or kidnap me, at least give me my knife back so I can do a semi bad job at protecting myself."

"Nico, did you find her?" a guy asked. Which turned out to be Percy.

"In the kitchen." Nico called back. He set the knife on the counter and sheathed his black steel sword. "Pleasure to meet you, I'm Nico."

"Elysia."

Percy, Annabeth, and Danny stepped into the kitchen. They took one look at me and their expressions turned sour.

"I should've known. Please, leave me alone. I'm leaving so you don't have to worry about me."

"Prophecy states otherwise. Sit down, Elysia." Annabeth told me. This girl had steel. Bossing me around in my own kitchen. "We knew you weren't going to wait for us when the school day ended. But we could still hope, right?"

"Listen, I don't want to know about any gods or mythological creatures being real. I just want to finish high school so I can at least try to have a better future than what I already have."

"Elysia, we know how bizarre this might sound. We were delivered the same speech. We would rather do it at camp, but if you're not willing then we might as well tell you here. You'd be less susceptible at camp, seeing as monsters hunt you more in the outside world." Percy said, his eyes held sympathy. Which made me angry.

"Enough." I told them. "You have five minutes to explain everything. After that, depending on how much truth your word holds, I'll decide what to do. Now speak." It took them a moment to gain their bearings back. They shook their heads like they were slightly confused and disoriented.

"The Greek gods are real. Those myths—well they aren't myths. In Ancient Greece the gods would descend to the mortal world and woo people into falling in love or sleeping with them. Whenever a god or goddess had a child with a mortal, the child would be called a demigod or a half-blood. Half human, half god. This is what you are."

"My parents are not some make believe deities. They were some foolish teenagers who couldn't raise a kid so they abandoned me. The end. So don't you dare tell me there is someone out there who could have been looking out for me." I angrily said, my voice shaking.

"The gods are prohibited from involving themselves in their children's affairs. Which is probably why he hasn't contacted you." Percy calmly said.

"He? My godly parent was a god. Who is my godly parent? Hephaestus? Hermes? Ares? Oooh, is it Zeus?" I asked.

"Your godly parent is Apollo. God of prophecy." Annabeth said. "He sent us to find you."

"Apollo? I thought he was the sun god."

"He has many roles, don't think too much on it. It'll give you a wicked headache. Most gods or goddesses have more than one role." Percy chuckled. I stared at him for a moment, which made him uncomfortable. His eyes were light green, so much like Pericles'. They were practically the same person, but when they smiled, Pericles smirk turned to the other side. His hair was dark and messy, and even though he had a girlfriend, he was a very handsome guy. His looks could put a Roman god to shame. Oh no, Pericles…

When he would come over tonight he would find an empty apartment. I had to tell him I was leaving. Maybe I could go after he showed up. I would just have to apologize and hopefully he would understand.

"So my dad is the sun god. Who was my mom?"

"We don't know. Maybe you can ask Apollo." Annabeth responded.

"Are you joking? How in the world am I supposed to ask a fictional person who my mother was? Don't play around like that."

"We're not joking. Danny, take off your pants." Percy said turning his head to Danny. He turned red and started objecting.

I rose from the table and started backing away. "No, don't take anything off. Leave. NOW." I might have played the terrified girl act before, but now I was really scared.

"It's the only way to get you to believe us. Greek mythology is in fact real. Danny, now." Percy said raising his hands in a calming gesture. Danny sputtered and then finally obeyed. When he took his jeans off I expected to see some underwear with scrawny legs. Instead I found myself staring at some really interesting pair of leggings. Brown wool covered every inch. Danny sighed and stepped out of his shoes and jeans. Some weird high heels were paired with the leggings. Like those bizarre death traps of high heels you see models wearing.

"You guys are hilarious. I actually thought you were going to take your clothes off. I'm so glad you have those leggings on. You look like a sheep though. I hope no one at school tries to pants you. You'd never hear the end of those leggings." I said hysterically.

"I'm a GOAT. Not a sheep. Or a donkey, I've heard that one too." Danny shrieked. "And these aren't leggings. They're my legs. I'm a satyr."

A sickening feeling engulfed me as I scooted the chair back. I walked over to Danny slowly. I bent in front of him, grabbed a chunk of his fuzzy leggings and pulled. He bleated like a goat, loudly and shrill in my ears. "Holy shit."

Then I passed out.

"El, wake up." A hand gently shook me. I opened my eyes with a groan and sat up. I was in bed…and Pericles was just watching me.

"What the f—" I began, "Why are you in my bedroom?"

He blushed. "I-I-I came over for our date and found strange people in your apartment."

I swung my legs over the side of the bed and stood. "Let's go see what they have to say."

He placed a hand on my shoulder, the look on his face was nothing but concern and stern. "Sure. But why are all of your belongings packed? Are you moving?"

"Pericles…I have to leave." I pulled my arm away and turned to face the small ragged window. Tears filled my eyes.

"Why? Are your parents forcing you to move?" He looked so concerned. His eyebrows scrunched up and his lips tightened.

"That's the thing, Pericles. I don't have any parents. I mean I do, but I haven't seen them in years. I lied when I said my parents helped me move in here. I'm a run away. I don't have a home. I don't have parents. Every time someone finds that out I leave, I switch schools and pretend I was never there. It's worked since I was thirteen. But now apparently I'm in some sort of danger. I have to leave again. Besides, we would've never worked out. I'm—not good enough for you." I whispered.

"What do you mean not good enough for me?"

"Look at you, you're a rich guy with a solid future. You'll get a big CEO job and I'll be forced to move all around the country. You're too perfect. I'm a failure."

"I'd rather be with you than have some prestigious job."

"You're too young to know what you want for the future, Pericles." I bitterly laughed. He shook his head, obviously not wanting to back down. I tried to push him away even more. "Besides, I'm okay with moving. I like being alone."

"No one likes being alone, El."

"I do."

"No, you don't. I can tell when we're together."

I took in a ragged breath. "That's the thing, there is no us. There never will be. I don't like you in the way you're hoping. When I say I like being alone, I mean it." I lied. The friendship between us was a real one, he kept me happy during my bad times. Unfortunately, I could feel that friendship shattering. I would miss him dearly…

He nodded, swallowing hard. "So I've been wasting my time?"

"Yeah."

He refused to give up. He shook his head in denial. "But what about us?"

I inwardly flinched. "Better luck next time. And there is no us. There never was, never will be. I just don't like you in the way you're hoping and I'm sorry that I made it seem like I did."

I walked out of the room, leaving him standing all alone. Just like I would be doing later on.

"You're awake," Nico observed. He was very perceptive.

"No thanks to you. Are we leaving soon?"

"You're coming with us!" Percy beamed.

"Yeah. I guess. I'm counting on the fact that what you're saying is true." I avoided Annabeth's scrutinizing look.

"We'll leave now. We should be at Camp in less than two hours." Annabeth said.

I heard Pericles walk out of the bedroom. I looked at him and he looked at me. Without saying a word he opened the door to the apartment and left. I blinked tears out of my eyes. There was no time for waterworks.

"I won't ever see him again will I?" I asked them softly.

"It's possible that you will later on." Nico said. "All right, let's head on out."

"You won't need that much stuff at Half-Blood Hill. Just take your necessary items." Annabeth suggested. I looked at all of my belongings. There weren't much but I had bought all of them. They had cost me money that I had to earn. No way was I letting any of it go.

"I need all of it." I firmly said. "I'm not leaving any of my stuff behind."

She sighed and shrugged.

We crossed some strawberry hills about two hours later. A big beautiful pine stood proudly among the other trees.

"When you get used to everything, that pine tree has an amazing story behind it." Percy said, grinning.

Night was falling over the forest. We trudged up some more and before I knew it, there was a big cabin with a porch light on. Several cabins stood in rows. Each cabin had a symbol above it, more than likely to make sure everyone knew who it belong too. A dinning pavilion with an assortment of tables. Training areas with bows and arrows were casually set up. An armory shed held several different types of weapons; swords, bows, arrows, shields, daggers, a cornucopia? There were also different sized armor, all polished and shiny.

"What's with the battle axes, who are you going to war against?" I joked. Percy turned to me, suddenly serious.

"You tell us." His eyes held mine, wow, his normally light green eyes took on a dark green shade. I nervously backed up.

"We'll get you informed in the morning. Let's go see Chiron." Annabeth smacked Percy on the shoulder.

"Who is Chiron?" I asked.

"Our camp director. He helps with the training and just about everything else." She responded. She led us to the big cabin and pushed opened the door. There talking to a dark haired man was another man sitting on a horse. Wait…

"Chiron, we retrieved her." Nico said.

"Great, is this another camper I'll have to deal with?" The dark haired man sighed. "How I wish father would just let me go back to Olympus."

"Mr. D, this is Elysia." Annabeth gestured toward me.

"Hello, Elijah. Where is Grover? I want to play a game of pinochle." He said turning around and looking under a coffee coaster.

"It's Elysia, not Elijah." I corrected. "Who are you?"

He turned toward me, mildly surprised. "Why should I give you my name? Names are powerful, girl. They hold more than you think."

"What?" I looked at Percy and Annabeth, Nico seemed to have disappeared.

"Mr. D, why don't you get another satyr to play a round with you? I'll deliver the speech to Ms. Hathaway, here." Chiron said.

"Very well. Nice to meet you, Edward." He strolled out of the room, before he left my sight however, he magically pulled a Diet Coke out of the air, popped the top, and took a swig. This place was giving me a headache.

"Did that just really happen?" I asked them.

"Yeah, he seems to get everyone's name wrong." Percy laughed.

"No I meant the soda thing. Did he just pull one out of thin air? Will I learn how to do that?"

"Ms. Hathaway, there are more important things to discuss." Chiron reminded me.

"Okay, yeah." Now, I was solely focused on him. He wasn't sitting on a horse, he was a horse. "I'm going to pass out again."

"My dear, before you do, yes, I am a centaur. Danny is a satyr, the Greek gods are real. Ancient Greece has been around for more than a thousand years. And, you my dear, are a demigod."

"My father is really Apollo? Isn't he like some blond guy?" I lifted a thick strand of hair.

"We believe your mother was a dark haired Roman general." Chiron said. "The gods get caught in many relationships with humans."

"Who are your godly parents?" I asked Percy and Annabeth.

"Poseidon."

"Athena."

"Who is Mr. D's godly parent? I assume everyone here has one?"

"Mr. D's is common knowledge. My parent is not a god." Chiron said looking over Percy and Annabeth with fondness in his eyes.

"Common knowledge that I don't have." I told him.

"Mr. D's godly parent is Zeus." Annabeth said.

"So he's a demigod, too?"

"No, he's a god." Percy looked at me. "Yeah, I was surprised too."

"Who is he—oh. D. As in D for Dionysus." A rush of blood heated my face. It had been obvious. "Well, let me go die in humiliation. I can't believe I didn't figure it sooner."

"Don't worry, you're still new at this. Everything should get better at coming to you. Recognizing Gods and Monster's class should help you along." Percy grinned.

"Is this an educational camp? That sounds really interesting, such as 'I'm interested in leaving'."

"You come here to train against monsters. You train to become great heroes. You train to do great things. Knowing what is what is crucial." Chiron said. "You will begin training tomorrow. I will go up to Olympus tonight. Apollo has surely found out of your arrival. I should go confirm it just in case."

"This is all real, isn't it? You guys aren't joking. It's kind of hard to believe." I choked out. I was slowly beginning to believe the crazy story, I just didn't know if I should be glad they weren't lying.

"This all very real, Ms. Hathaway. Now, let's talk about the serious situation you are in." Chiron gestured to a ping pong table in the middle of the room. Surrounded by chairs, I took a seat. "You seem to have a way with your words, my dear."

"What do you mean? They kept saying that too." I shook a hand at Percy and Annabeth.

"What Apollo said seems to be true. She can make any sort of outcome happen. We saw it when she told this girl off at school. Obviously it's going to happen later down the road but you could FEEL it working. It practically became visible." Annabeth ignored me.

"This could change everything. If what we're saying happened is true, maybe we aren't completely done for." Percy said, his face lightening up with the possibilities.

"What are you guys talking about?" I shouted. I was up to my neck tired of being ignored.

"You're a legacy. You can make any outcome happen by just speaking of it. Like when you told us to sit down when we were all at your kitchen table. You can't say you didn't feel that." Percy said, he started bouncing his leg in excitement.

"What you're talking about is manipulation. I'm not that good of a liar or people person."

"No, it's your gift. Almost every demigod has a special talent. The Apollo kids have a knack at archery and healing, the Hecate cabin works with Mist and spells, Zeus's kids can summon lightning and winds, Hephaestus kids can make just about anything, one is even immune to fire, the Athena cabin are all freaking smart, and there are so many more. Even if you don't have a "gift", you become useful in battle." Percy listed, lifting up fingers as he went along.

"Do you not have any powers?"

He grinned and out of nowhere a light mist rained in the cabin. The mist swirled around until it became a miniature hurricane. Though only a few inches tall, it packed a punch and you could feel the wind tugging you towards it. The hurricane exploded and drops of water settled in the room.

"Wow…" it was all I could think of to say.

"It's a big effort however." He said, wiping his brow with the back of his hand.

"What can you do?" I asked Annabeth.

"I strategize, I read." She said.

"I love to read, though I haven't had much time to do that since I moved here." I slumped into my chair.

"Most demigods are ADHD and dyslexic so Annabeth loving to read is a really cool talent." Percy said.

"Are you dyslexic?" I asked him.

"I once read an important prophecy and said dogs instead of gods. Reading gives me a headache." He laughed. "Annabeth is wicked smart so having her around during quests comes in handy."

Mr. D came back into the room looking bored. Once he spotted us he lifted his eye brows, as if us still being there was a surprise.

"Your father will be here soon, Emmanuel. Though why he would personally come visit you I have no idea why." He said sitting down and sipping his Diet Coke.

"Why did I feel like that was supposed to be an insult?" I asked him.

"You heroes are all the same, why should a god visit you?" He asked pointing at me with his can of soda.

"Because he's my dad?"

Mr. D rolled his eyes, "Wrong. We have no obligation to check up on you. A real hero can take care of themselves." He turned and tossed the empty can into a wastebasket. Surprisingly he made it.

"Spoken like a true god. I bet you guys are full of yourselves, huh?" He lifted an eyebrow at my sarcastic bit. "Do you want a burnt offering also? A young vir—"

"Elysia," Chiron cut me off. I got the message loud and clear. Knowing even though I would probably get incinerated on the spot, I glared at Mr. D. His back was turned and I gestured rudely with a hand. Yes, I later felt ashamed.

As Mr. D was leaving he called out, "I saw that Edmund."

Nico appeared out of the shadows, scaring me half to death. "The god Apollo is here. He would like to speak to Elysia in the next room."

I gulped, suddenly nervous about meeting my father. At the same time I couldn't wait to go and give him a piece of my mind. But there were also many questions I wanted answered. I took a deep breath and entered the room Nico pointed at.

In the center of the room stood a tall lean sandy blond haired man. He turned at my entrance and stared at me with blue eyes. He was dressed in khaki shorts and a black sleeveless shirt. A bow and quiver of arrows were slung over his left shoulder. He gave me a movie star smile, though it didn't quite reach his eyes.

"You look so much like your mother."

"Thanks, I guess." I crossed my arms over my chest and cleared my throat. "What did you need to talk to me about?" He looked at me with unfocused eyes. I realized he wasn't seeing me. He was probably remembering other times.

"Your mother was special you know. She was Roman. She was a captain in the United States Navy. She had the most beautiful voice, you should've heard her sing. I hadn't heard a voice like hers in hundreds of years." He trailed off. "She had your black hair and dark brown eyes. Her smile lit up a room, except she didn't smile all that much when she was serving. She stopped singing, praying to whoever that she would be given the strength to someday sing again. Her emotional and stressful state caused her to become depressed. Unknowingly, she called out to me. I heard her prayer."

"What was her name?"

"Melody…It suited her."

"Where is she?"

"When she found out who I was, when we found out about you…we didn't know what to do. Months after you were born, she left you in the care of some family members until she returned, but her ships navigational system took a wrong turn and crashed. No one survived. The family members couldn't care for you, they gave you up to the foster care agency. You were only about two."

"Why didn't you help me? Why didn't you take care of me? Why did you leave me to fend for myself?" I asked, my heart tightening.

Pain crossed his features. "Gods aren't allowed to meddle in mortal affairs. We mustn't show favoritism."

"But it wouldn't have been favoritism. You would've just have been checking up on your kid." I had to stop. I knew what he meant. I faintly remembered how the gods would have multiple kids so they wouldn't have been able to care for just one. But that didn't mean it didn't make me at least a bit angry.

"You and I know that's not true." He gave me a sad smile.

"I know."

We stayed silent for a couple of moments. I could see Apollo looking over me, studying me.

"Have they told you why they brought you here?"

"No, they keep going on about how I can 'manipulate' the future. I don't know what they mean."

"You have a special skill, Elysia. You're able to make any possible outcome happen. Let's say you want someone to jump off a building, if you believe it and truly want it, it will happen. You could predict an outcome of a war. You could tip the scales on a battle."

"Which is why you guys want me here."

He looked guilty. "You're a valuable piece in what's to come. Khios is the titan of prophecy. He is a tad ticked that Gaia was defeated a few years ago. So he is trying to avenge his mother. If he has you on their side, he could actually defeat Olympus."

"Why don't you just let the titans take over? Would it really be that bad?"

"The titans were cruel rulers the first time, I don't want to imagine how they would treat demigods or mortals this time."

"Let me ask you some questions. Why should I help you? Why should I take the gods side in this war?"

"Because, the world would be in terrible conditions. The gods do neglect some of their duties such as caring for their children, but we do want to help the world. Because, as your father I hope that you will put into consideration that we are still family, no matter how we feel."

He had a point. I faintly remembered the old stories about the titans and mortals. No matter how angry I was with the gods I didn't want to subject the humans to a life of misery on my account.

"Couldn't I just go ahead and predict the outcome now? Then I could just go back to being me."

He shook his head in earnest. His golden hair looked fiery in the dimmed lights. "You need to believe that's what you want. The more you get to know about the war, the better you can predict it. Plus, I'd like for you to stay here and learn how to protect yourself. Now that you know that you are a half-blood, you are in more danger. Monsters and enemies will want to challenge you. You need to be prepared."

"You're the god of archery too. Is that why I'm decent at it?" I realized. He scoffed and stared at me with piercing blue eyes.

"Decent? You are one of the best archers in the past hundred years. And I am by no means trying to boost your ego. You are a great archer." He said with pride. I wonder if gods bragged and rubbed their kids in other gods' faces.

"Thanks." I blushed a bit before getting a hold of myself.

"I have to go speak with Artemis. I will be back. Tomorrow you get to choose a weapon and learn how to use it. Choose wisely. Most demigods stick with it for the rest of their lives unless they lose or move on to something else. I will be watching you, Elysia." And with a showy flash he vanished. My eyes took time adjusting, I blinked them rapidly to clear my vision. In the back of my mind I knew that the flash could've killed me or blinded me but it didn't.

"You'll be watching me? NOW YOU'LL BE WATCHING ME?" I yelled at the empty air. I stood there cursing for a minute or two before Percy and Chiron walked in. They looked a bit unsettled.

"I take it that your meeting with you father went well." Chiron said. I spun around and glared at him.

"Don't mess with me." I growled out. "He shows up, tells me about my mother, practically manipulates me into fighting for the god's side, says I have to choose a weapon, and leaves. That makes no sense. Absolutely none. Now I feel like I need to sit down and unwind. So if you'll excuse me, I'll be yelling obscenities at the air outside." I shoved past everyone and stormed my way out.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The sky was full of stars as I sat down and contemplated my entire life. You never really think about unrealistic situations when you're alone. It's not like there was a class on how to survive in multiple worlds at once. Now I was alone in both. The mortal world and an ancient one that was supposed to have disappeared a thousand years ago. Two worlds and I'm being searched for in both of them. Of course, what did I expect?

I drew my knees to my chest and leaned my chin to settle on top of them. I hugged my legs and prayed that this would all be over soon. Maybe after this so called war I could go back to my normal routine. I snickered. On the run was not normal. Being alone is what I do best. It was peaceful and you never had to worry about answering to anyone. You never had to worry about anyone else. You were alone forever.

A hand was placed on my shoulder and I looked up to see Percy. He looked at me with troubled eyes. He said nothing and sat down with me. I found that comforting. He stayed silent and I found myself telling him about how I would run after school authorities found out I had no actual contact information. I told him about some of my foster parents. Some were amazing and loving. Others were evil and cared only for the money the government would hand them each month. After eleven years in the foster system I took off. I moved and forged random people's signatures. I spent many nights on the streets, learning quickly to trust no one.

There were, on the other hand, genuine homeless people who tried to help the newbies. They gave you advice on which streets to avoid, who to stay away from, which dumpster had the freshest and best food. I told him about a young homeless girl, she couldn't have been more than ten, and how she befriended me. She was small for her age, bony, and pale. She shivered all of the time and was almost always sick. She became my best friend. Her name was Amelia and she died after a cold night. I cried and mourned her. I left that part of the city and never went back. I found myself crying when I noticed the wind chilled my face.

"Let's get you to your cabin. I bet your siblings would love to meet you." Percy stood up, offered me his hand, and hauled me to my feet. We walked and he led me to the Apollo cabin. It was golden yellow, bows and arrows were laid down at the doors entrance. "You'll be safe here. No one can come in here and take you away. You'll learn how to train and fight. It'll be hard, but you'll learn to love it." He knocked on the cabin door and it opened.

A tall guy with blond hair and blue eyes opened the door. "Percy. Is everything okay?" He widened the door and stepped back to let us in. Bunk beds held teenagers settling down for the night. They stopped talking and stared at us.

"Everything is fine, Will. I want you guys to meet Elysia. She's your sister. Though she hasn't been claimed yet." Percy said gesturing toward me. I stepped further into the room and lifted a hand in greeting. It was supposed to be genetically impossible but no one else in the cabin had hair darker than light brown. Their features were fair and light.

"Hey." I nervously said.

They gave me sunny smiles and returned my hello.

"Welcome to the Apollo cabin, Elysia. Here, we like to heal and shoot people with arrows. It's going to be great having you here. I'm Will." Will took his time pointing out every camper.

"Well, Elysia, I'll be over here to pick you up tomorrow when breakfast is over. We'll get you situated and find you a weapon. At least you're not in the Hermes cabin. You'd be waking up with a Sharpie mustache and beard. Good night, guys." Percy waved one last time and left the cabin. I stood there awkwardly and cleared my throat.

"You can have the bed next to the window. Don't worry, it has a screen on it." Will picked up my travel bag and suitcase and helped me take them over to the bed he indicated. "It'll be lights out in a few minutes."

"Thanks. I'll try to get along with you guys tomorrow. I'm sort of tired today and don't have any room for pleasantries."

"We know how you feel. I'm the cabin leader. We wake up early, one of the many traits we get from our lovely father."

I hated rising early. I would sleep in all day if I could. The earliest I got up was eight. And that's only because school started at nine. "I'll try to wake early."

"Awesome, well its lights out. Good night, Apollo cabin." Will said and the lights turned off.

The next morning something happened that never had before. I woke up to a high piercing shrill right in my ear. I looked out the window and saw that the sun was making its way across the sky. Soft pinks and blues gave everything a fresh new look. The shrilling noise kept on until everyone was out of bed. I stood there groggily and saw the Apollo campers looking at me with sympathetic smiles.

"Apollo forces everyone to get up with him every morning. Unfortunately only the Apollo cabin can hear it." Will explained, tying his shoelaces.

"Why did I not hear it before? It's hard to mask." I said running my hands through my black hair.

"It only happens at camp." A girl answered. She walked over to me and set a pair of blue skinny jeans and an orange T-shirt with the words 'CAMP HALF-BLOOD' on it. "Here, you and I are about the same size, I'm pretty sure you'll fit them."

I felt my eyes sting and a lump form in my throat. "Uh, thanks." I choked out.

"I'm Lisa Shooter. I bet you don't remember much of our names. Don't worry, it takes time." She smiled at me. Her eyes were deep blue and her hair was strawberry blonde. It began to dawn on me that these kids were my siblings. Half anyway.

"I'm going to try to learn everybody's name as soon as possible, I promise." I assured them.

"It's cool. It's all new and everyone has a hard time. I'm Bryce Heeler." A tall guy with sunny blond hair laughed. His eyes were a hazel color.

"All right, you guys. Let's go eat breakfast. We can talk at the table." Will called out. He led the cabin over to the open dinning pavilion.

"What happens if it rains? Do we still eat out here or is there an inside cafeteria?" I asked Will.

"We control the weather. If we don't want it to rain, it won't." He smiled at me.

"That's awesome. I hate ugly weather."

We neared the tables and I saw that Chiron and Mr. D were already waiting for us.

"Of course the Apollo cabin is here early. Do you kids ever sleep in?" Mr. D drawled out.

"Apollo won't allow it." Lisa answered.

We sat down at the Apollo table and waited for the rest of the camp. Half an hour later, we saw files of demigods walking towards us. I saw Percy give me a thumbs up. Annabeth waved and went back to talking to her half brothers and sisters.

"Percy is sitting alone, can I go join him?" I asked Will.

"There are a couple of rules at camp. One of them is that you have to sit with your cabin at meal times. Besides, Percy's half-brother will show up in a few minutes. His name is Tyson." He answered back. Percy sat by himself and after dumping a portion of food into a bronze bowl he began eating.

About ten minutes later, a big guy walked over to Percy and sat down. He had shaggy brown hair, dressed in a red flannel shirt with XXXL blue jeans. He sat down with a thump and Percy gave him a cheerful slap on the back. Tyson started eating his breakfast, all while talking enthusiastically. He would wave his hands around and Percy would laugh along with him.

After breakfast we were free to talk with friends. Percy and his brother strolled over to me, still laughing from their conversation. I glanced at Tyson and did a double take. Tyson was a cyclops. He beamed at me with a cheerful eye and rushed over to me.

"Percy tells me you are the new demigod! We will be friends!" He said, crushing me into a hug. I gasped for air and felt my bones want to collapse.

"Whoa there, big guy. Set her down." Percy laughed. Tyson carefully set me down and backed away.

"I would like to be your friend, Tyson." I said, trying to get in big breaths of air.

"Yay!" He exclaimed. "We get to be friends and save the world!"

Percy smiled at him and shook his head. "Do you want to pick your weapon now? No one is going to be in there at this moment. It gets crowded around lunch time, when everyone has training afterwards."

"Sure, let's go pick something out." I said, knowing I would probably choose the wrong one and would be stuck with it for the rest of my life. We walked over to the armory and saw demigods milling around laughing and training. Older teenaged students taught the younger kids, giving them advice on how to hold the sword or how to aim at a target with your arrow.

"We need to find out what your strong points are. That way we can assess what weapons best suit you."

"Well, I was the school archery captain. Of course I think you know that. I bet the Apollo kids here are talented with a bow and arrow. Though, can you fight with a bow and arrow? Or would a sword be better?"

"I'd say the sword would be the best weapon, but then again I'm biased. I have my own sword." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a blue topped ball point pen.

"That's not a sw—" I faltered, he pulled the top off and the pen sprang up into a double edged bronze sword. Greek writing was engraved into the blade, _Anaklusmos._ Riptide, my brain had no trouble translating the ancient writing.

"Pretty neat, right?"

"That's an understatement. Do all swords do that?"

"No, as far as I know, only Riptide has the ability."

We reached the door and swung it open. Shiny weapons gleamed at me, the morning sun making them look even deadlier.

"Look and see if you like anything." Percy said, ruffling through swords. Someone called his name and he went to see who needed him.

I stood there holding different weapons. Axes were too heavy and bulking to carry around. I tried a variety of shields but they would all get in my way, plus, my spaghetti arms couldn't handle the weight. Javelins were too tall, daggers were too short in length. I rummaged through the weapons, certain I wouldn't be able to find something. I straightened my back and something caught my eye. Mounted up high was a red and black sheathed sword. I took it down and examined it.

The case was red and black with elongated ovals. The handle was the same pattern. I pulled the sword free and found the blade to be a little curved at the end. It didn't resemble any of the swords I had looked at. It was practically straight, with only one sharp side. The red in the handle looked like splotches of blood. The blade was pure black steel. It resonated a cold feeling to it that I couldn't explain. So I carefully swung it. The noise it made had me giggling. I backed up and found myself slipping on a bronze knee guard. The blade seemed to come down faster than what was possible. I thought I was going to lose a leg but somehow the blade was stopped.

The skilled hands caught the sword by the blade and righted me up.

"What in Hades are you doing, are you trying to kill yourself? You're lucky I got here just in time to prevent that from happening. God, didn't anybody tell you not to touch anything that doesn't belong to you." A guy with pitch black hair with red highlights coldly said. His hand that had the sword blade was bleeding profusely. I could tell that he was half American and Japanese because of the way he looked, his grayish blackish eyes were dark with anger. He was dressed in all black, except under his black leather jacket he had a white T-shirt with a cross necklace around his neck, his gray shoes cleaned and without a scratch. "This is poisoned."

"If it's poisoned, then why are you holding the blade and letting it cut you?" I asked him. I felt slightly disturbed at the words 'poisoned' and 'pain'.

"Because the blade's poison has no effect on me and I'm the only person who can control the blades power." His voice stayed at the same angered level.

"Then why would you leave it at the weaponry where someone could get a hold of it?" I angrily asked him.

"I wouldn't think someone would be stupid enough to go near it because everyone knows what the blade can do. But somehow you crossed the barrier I had put up when I left." He said under his breath.

"Who are you?" Despite the cold treatment and look that he was giving me, he was rather handsome.

"It's Ziro Amara, would you care to give me your name since I gave you mine?"

"If you insist, Elysia Hathaway."

"Elysia Hathaway huh, well Elysia don't touch my sword again if you do, I would personally deal with you myself. Got that?" And with that he swiftly turned around to leave but as soon as he got to the doorway he looked back with cold eyes and left me alone, as if the whole ridiculous conversation did not happen.

I stood there in shock until Percy came back. He took one look at me and frowned.

"What's wrong, Elysia?"

"I almost died by a poisoned katana sword thing and it was sort of scary." I said rather calmly.

"So I see you met Ziro Amara, yeah he arrived here three or fourth months before you did and let tell you he's not a social type of guy, he's cold and he doesn't care for his comrades in a sense. But he's quite strong, since his arrival, he's progressed a lot. He even challenged me to a duel just to see how strong he had become. But the fight only lasted ten minutes, then again, I have been here longer and have more practice with the sword. Though I'm surprised he held up that long." He laughed and dug through the weapons.

"But why would he leave a poisoned sword laying around? That's dangerous. Tell me of your first fight with Amara." I asked, very annoyed. I looked at everything again, nothing. I dug deeper into the small shed and pulled out a sword. The handle was made of brown soft leather. It was sketched with small flowers. About three feet in length, I pulled it out and the blade came free. It was a beautiful bronze blade and glowed softly.

"Let's just say that he forgot to put it in his cabin because he was in a hurry to go to Japan to practice his skills there. He asked for another challenge a few months after and he was stronger. He used unpredictable moves that I hadn't ever encountered before, the thing is, he repeats the motions so I am able to predict which comes next. Besides that I see that you've found a sword that interested you, want to give it a try?" he said with a bright smile on his face. "That sword was made by an ancient Greek blacksmith. I remember because Annabeth told me. It was the last one to be produced until they figured out that those swords were deadly. It's made of Celestial bronze, deadly to monsters. It won't harm normal mortals, a hero must never do that." He said standing back and appreciating the sword.

I held it in one hand and found it to be light. It felt balanced and weighed practically nothing. I swung it, it was easy to control.

"I want this sword. Whose is it?" I whipped my head to face Percy. I would have this sword.

"It's now yours if you want it. It's a good choice, you'll be able to use it soon. With practice and patient, it'll come naturally." He grinned.

"Awesome." I put the protective cover back on and strapped it to my skinny jeans. "Now what do I do?"

"Now we train. We train until we become strong enough, then we kick some bad guy ass." Percy smiled. "Let's go to the arena, it has dummies you can hack at."

We headed over to the arena and I saw a flash of black in my peripheral vision. It was Ziro, he nodded at Percy and scowled at me.

Percy walked over to a dummy and gestured for me to get closer. "Do you want to use your own sword or do you want to practice with a wooden one?"

"Let me use a wooden one. I don't want to hurt myself."

He pulled out a wooden one and handed it to me. "Now, when using a sword you handle it with one hand. Two hands are too much of a distraction. Use the hand you normally use to do everything."

I grabbed my wooden sword with my right hand. It felt bulky and long.

"Since swords are long it gives you a wide range. You can stand back and play both offense and defense. I've done both."

I swung the wooden sword and struck the dummy in the head.

"Good, now arch up a bit when you swing. Hold your ground."

I tried again. The blade seemed to flow smoothly that time. Percy coached me through jabs and strikes all throughout training.

I was pouring sweat when I heard a mean snicker behind me. I turned and faced Ziro, his eyes full of criticism. He had a hand in his left pocket with his katana resting on his right shoulder.

"What? Are you going to be rude about me training also?" I asked him, a tad ticked off. I was doing my best.

"You look pathetic." Ziro snickered. He went off and chose a quiet corner to train in. He walked over to where the wooden swords were held and chose one. He set his katana down in chair. He walked over to a dummy and started whacking it mercilessly. He used two hands and moved rapidly. His body motions were accurate, precise. Fifteen minutes went by and he took off his shirt, muscles rippled under his movements. He stopped to wipe his face with his discarded shirt and caught me looking. He said nothing and turned back to the dummy with the same rapid movements.

"I thought he used Japanese style weapons?"

"Well, we are Greek. We don't have many non-Greek weapons. He just uses the wooden practice sword for the arena."

"Well, okay. So be honest, how well will I be able to do with a sword? Do I have a chance or should I choose a new weapon?"

"You have a lot of potential. With lots of practice and motivation, you'll become a good swordsman, err I mean swordswoman."

"Awesome, let's take a break. I could use some water."

"Why would you need water if you just started practicing, a warrior doesn't need water unless they train to their limits but go ahead and drink water, you're not suited to the task anyways." Zero said walking toward his sword and picking it up. He picked it up, laid it across his right shoulder and left the arena.

"Percy, let me tell you this. When I am done training, the first butt whooping I'm going to give out, it will be to him." I said. "He's so…indifferent."

"That's Zero for you. Come on, let's go get water. Just think on this though, are you sure you want to challenge him?"

I glanced in his direction, "Yes."


End file.
